Nigeria Mourns as Boko Haram Attack Leaves Police Officers, Soldiers Dead in Yobe Assault
Nigeria’s worsening insurgency crisis resurfaced with brutal intensity after Boko Haram terrorists launched a deadly overnight assault on the Nigerian Army Special Forces School in Buni Yadi, Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State.
They killed at least 17 police officers and several soldiers in one of the fiercest attacks recorded in recent years.
The attack, which occurred around 1:15 a.m. on May 8, targeted security personnel undergoing advanced tactical and counter-terrorism training at the military facility.
According to the Nigeria Police Force, the gunmen stormed the base from multiple directions in a coordinated operation that triggered hours of heavy gunfire and resistance.
Force spokesperson, ACP Anthony Okon Placid, confirmed that 17 police officers lost their lives during the confrontation, describing them as personnel who “paid the supreme price” in service to the nation.
Although military authorities have yet to officially disclose the number of soldiers killed, local sources and members of the civilian Joint Task Force claimed that more than 20 soldiers also died during the prolonged battle.
Residents said the exchange of gunfire lasted for more than three hours before the insurgents eventually retreated at about 4:00 a.m. after reportedly failing to overrun the facility or cart away weapons and military equipment.
Sources familiar with the incident described the confrontation as unusually intense, with many residents saying they had not witnessed such a large-scale firefight in Buni Yadi since the Boko Haram insurgency erupted in the North-East over a decade ago.
Following the attack, military authorities immediately evacuated the bodies of fallen soldiers, while the remains of the slain police officers were later recovered and moved to the mortuary of the University Teaching Hospital in Damaturu before being transported to Maiduguri for burial.
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, paid tribute to the deceased officers, describing them as courageous and patriotic personnel who remained committed to protecting the country despite the dangers attached to their duty.
He assured Nigerians that security agencies would intensify ongoing operations aimed at tracking down and bringing the attackers to justice.
Meanwhile, Yobe State Commissioner of Police, Usman Jibrin, visited the Special Forces School on behalf of the police leadership, where he met with military officers, the commandant of the institution, Brigadier General A.C. Enuagu, and surviving police trainees.
During the visit, he encouraged the remaining trainees to remain resolute and complete their programme in honour of their fallen colleagues.
Buni Yadi has remained strategically significant in Nigeria’s counter-insurgency operations, making it a recurring target for terrorist groups seeking to weaken military presence in the North-East.
The latest bloodshed has once again highlighted the persistent security challenges confronting Nigeria despite years of military offensives against Boko Haram and allied insurgent factions.
Residents of the town also expressed grief over the killings, with some lamenting that community members were unable to secure the release of the bodies for immediate burial rites before they were transferred out of Yobe State.
One resident, who said he had trained alongside one of the slain officers, described the tragedy as heartbreaking, adding that the community remains shaken by the scale of the attack and the number of lives lost.
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